Obituary: Beulah TorrenceDANVILLE — Beulah Mae Torrence, 92, of Danville, passed away Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at Chambers Memorial Hospital. She was born Aug. 13, 1924, in Plainview, Ark., to the late Jess and Della Norman Gilkey. She worked 38 years as a line worker for Tyson Poultry. She was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Henry Gilkey; sisters Elsie Brown, Ruby Riddley, and Cora Alston; sons-in-law...

Obituary: Caryn GillumCaryn Cheri Cox Gillum, age 45, of North Little Rock, formerly of Plainview, passed away Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at her home. She was born Dec. 24, 1970, in Hot Springs, to the late Thomas Verdell and Barbara Elaine Durall Cox. She was a 1989 graduate of Plainview High School and a 1994 graduate of Arkansas Tech where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance. She loved cooking, watching the Arkansas Razorbacks and studying the Bib...

Pottsville city talks zoning for schoolPOTTSVILLE — Pottsville City Councilman Donnie Elliott addressed the city council during their monthly meeting on Nov. 28 about an issue the Planning and Zoning Commission wanted the council’s advice on. Elliott explained to the council that the Pottsville School District had multiple buildings zoned differently. “The elementary and administrative building for the school on State Highway 247 is zoned as R-2 (Medium Density Residential), the hi...

Jury picked, opening statements set in church slayings trialCHARLESTON, S.C. — Twelve jurors were chosen Wednesday to decide the death penalty trial of a white man who authorities say wanted to start a race war by killing nine black people in a South Carolina church. Opening statements were to begin later in the day as the trial of Dylann Roof began in a federal courthouse about a mile away from the church. Roof wore a gray and white striped prison jumpsuit and stared mostly at the table in front of hi...

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The Associated Press, Bruce Smith and Jeffrey CollinsAssociated Press

Police investigate Dollar General robberyDARDANELLE â€" Dardanelle police are investigating an alleged armed robbery Friday at the Dollar General Store at State Highway 22 and Rock Street. Earlier that day, Dardanelle and Yell County law enforcement agencies responded to an attempted armed robbery at River Town Bank on Union Street. According to information from the Dardanelle Police Department, two Dollar General store employees told police moments before the store was to close Frid...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Kids who lived through Pearl Harbor rememberHONOLULU -- In some ways, it could be any class photo from the 1940s. The sepia-toned image shows 30 fifth-graders -- 26 girls and four boys -- at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Waikiki. Most are smiling, some look stern. A few have no shoes. Yet this picture is different in one striking way: Each child is holding a bag containing a gas mask, a sign of how war had suddenly broke apart the routines of their adolescence on Dec. 7, 1941. T...

Reprinted from a 1965 edition of the Democrat CourierReprinted from a 1965 edition of the Democrat Courier. River Valley Rewind Rehearsing for Blue Key variety show competition at Arkansas Tech are vocalist Paula Looper and piano accompanist Connie Legan, both students at Russellville High School.

$2.6 million for Weir Road plans approvedIn a special meeting last week, four Russellville city council members and Mayor Randy Horton approved the final design for Weir Road improvements, and gave the go-ahead for bids on sewer and water contractors to open. Freddie Harris, Bill Eaton, Eric Westcott, Robert Wiley and Horton voted yes to the amended proposal, which is estimated to cost $2.6 million, a significant decrease from engineering firm Garver's initial estimate of $3.25 milli...

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BY SIERRA MURPHY
murphy@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Christmas WishTo adopt a Christmas Wish family, contact the Main Street Mission at 479-968-8303 between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Main Street Mission will provide you with the family's wish list. Families that are still available are: u CW 5. One income family with 4 children. 3 girls, 9, 7, 6 and 1 boy, 6 u CW 11. Once income family with 3 children. 2 girls, 12 and 10 and 1 boy, 5 u CW 12. One income family with 3 children. 1 girl, 12...

Texarkana struggles to fund raises for police, firefightersTEXARKANA— The mayor of Texarkana said financial realities and not mishandled tax revenues are making it difficult to fund pay raises for police and firefighters. Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell told the city Board of Directors that city officials are not cheating officers out of "parity" pay raises, the Texarkana Gazette (http://bit.ly/2g7eIRU ) reported. "We don't have anything to hide," Penney-Bell said. "It's a misconception that this group, the ci...

Obituary: Karen BellCLARKSVILLE — Karen Kay Bell, 75, of Clarksville, passed away Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Clarksville. She was born Jan. 18, 1941, to Mr. Wayne and Marjorie (Brewer) Stratton. Karen was retired co-owner of Bell Jewelry. She is preceded in death by her parents and one son, Mitchell Bell. Mrs. Bell is survived by her husband, Tom Bell; one daughter, Janet (Phillip) Smith of Amarillo, Texas; one son, Phillip (Ladora) Bell of Clarksville; two sisters...

Obituary: Celine StoverDANVILLE — Celine Rita Stover, age 83 of Casa, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, at Perry County Nursing and Rehab Center. She was born April 9, 1933, in Chicago, Ill., to the late William and Mary Loretta Gauer Uting. She was a mother and homemaker and a member of the Casa First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Stover; daughters, Mary Ann Stover and Rita Dicken; brothers, Bill Uting, and Harry Uting; sister, A...

Obituary: Donald UsseryDonald Ray Ussery, 65, of Atkins, formerly of Russellville and Booneville, died Sunday, Dec. 5, 2016, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. He was born May 24, 1951, in Pine Bluff. He is preceded in death by his mother, Helen Hubbard Ussery Barr and his stepfather, Reese Barr. His parents were D.L. Ussery, born in Yell County and Helen Louise Hubbard Ussery, born in Pope County. Arrangements are pending, under the direction of Russellville ...

Obituary: Tony SpearsDARDANELLE — Tony Don Spears, age 64 of Briggsville, died Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home in Russellville. He was born Feb. 17, 1952, at Danville to the late Clifford and Imogene Nichols Spears. He was a mechanic and a truck driver, loved fast cars, motorcycles, NASCAR and drag racing. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Billy Ray Hill. Survivors include his wife, Diane Miller Spears of Briggsvi...

Obituary: Charles HarrisSEARCY — Charles Franklin Harris, age 83 of Searcy, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at his home. He was born March 3, 1933, in Marion County, Ala., to John Richard “Rip” Harris and Mae Virginia White Harris. Charles is a graduate of Auburn University, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was a member of the Arkansas Poultry Federation for many years, and was awarded “Salesman of the Year” in 1979. Charles is survived by his wife of 54...

Obituary: Edith SbaboEdith Mae Cowan Sbabo, 87, of Russellville died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, at Russellville Nursing and Rehab in Russellville. The daughter of Burch and Gladys Harris, she was born May 9, 1929, in Seminole, Okla. Edith was a retired housekeeping employee with Russellville Nursing. She was a loving mother to nine children and a member of the Grace Chapel Church. Edith enjoyed gardening, fishing, and flowers. She was preceded in death by her first hus...

Obituary: Anastacia MitchellAnastacia “Anna” Mitchell, age 76 of Dover, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at home. She was born April 15, 1940, to Apolinar and Sofia Gonzales Molina. Anna was a member of World Harvest Baptist Church. She loved quilting and teaching others how to quilt. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Sarah and Louisa; and one brother, Juan. Survivors include her husband, Curtis Mitchell; two sons and daughters-...

Obituary: Larry EllisDARDANELLE — Larry Don Ellis, age 53 of Plainview, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. He was born Dec. 1, 1963, at Danville to John William and Beulah Leatrice Brothers Ellis. He was preceded in death by his father, John Ellis; one brother, Bobby Ellis and one sister, Darlene Ellis. Survivors include his wife, Kelly Ellis of Plainview; his mother, Beulah Ellis of Plainview; five children, Andrew and Ashley Ellis of Greenbrier, Jordan and Justin Marlow...